Today, as businesses, consumers, and government increase their focus on energy and environmental issues, OEMs and contractors in our industry can remain competitive not just by adapting to constant change, but by influencing that change. And when it comes to refrigerant changes, the question becomes: do we want to lead or risk losing control?
The phasedown of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants is a given, considering that common HFCs have global warming potentials (GWPs) between 1,400 and 4,000 times that of CO2. Environmental advocates and regulatory agencies around the world are focused on this fact. Some seek rapid phasedowns or even immediate bans of HFCs. What remains to be seen is when and how rapid that phasedown will occur, and what will emerge as the next generation of refrigerants — hydrocarbons (HCs), hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs), CO2, something entirely different, or a combination of these. The world is grappling with both these issues, which present leadership opportunities that our industry and the U.S. cannot afford to abdicate.